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Monday, July 21, 2008

DOLPHY AT 80 Living in a Goldfish Bowl

JOKER DETORShowbiz Top i-News

DOLPHY AT 80 Living in a Goldfish Bowl

A confirmed bachelor, yes. He has had dozens of women in his life, siring 18 children with six of them, but has never married any of them. His current and, just probably, last Zsa Zsa Padilla might be "it," but only heaven knows.

He could run for any position and win hands down but no, as he first told The STAR in an interview a decade or so ago when he refused to join the showbiz bandwagon to the political arena, "Madaling tumakbo; paano kung manalo?" (That was his exact answer which was rephrased in the retelling.)

Rodolfo Vera Quizon, lovingly known as Dolphy, is turning 80 on July 25. To celebrate his being "weighty at 80," his son Eric has published Dolphy's biography titled Hindi Ko Ito Narating Mag-Isa, "as told to Bibeth Orteza," which will be launched en grande on Wednesday, July 23, at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, in cooperation with the Dolphy Aid Para sa Pinoy Foundation which provides education to the underprivileged.

Comedy King.

Woman-lover and Ladies' Man.

Bombilya King.

Dolphy is all that - and more.

As a nod to his birthday, Conversations is giving you "80 snippets" as a preview to the predicted best-seller.

1. I was born on Calle Padre Herrera on July 25, 1928. Orig na Tondo Boy. I was about 13 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.

2. My father was Melencio, son of Modesto Quizon and Adorable Espinosa. He was earning well as tagagawa ng makina sa bapor at the Atlantic Gulf.

3. My mother was Salud, daughter of Maximo Vera and Ninay de la Rosa. She owned a tailoring shop at home. She was the first cousin of Rita Vera Avellana, mother of Lamberto Avellana. My siblings and I called our parents Papang and Mamang.

4. At that time, I could watch movies for free because I sold peanuts and butong-pakwan inside, and also singkamas-malamig.

5. Radio was a hit at that time. The couple Dely Atay-Atayan and Andoy Balunbalunan were the pioneers of radio shows.

14. I was turning 17 when Benny Mack got me as a chorus dancer, one month at Avenue and then I moved to Lyric. When there was an air raid, we would interrupt the show and run for cover at the air-raid shelter sa orchestra, kasama ang audience. Kapag walang bombang bumagsak, tuloy uli ang show.

15. I was also in the shows at Orient Theater. Golay was my first stage name. My dream was to have a solo dance na gaya ni Fred Astaire.

16. My first love was Aida Javier who came from a family of musicians. Mahusay siya mag-piano.

19. I was among the original OFWs. Mga 1950 'yon. Nag-show kami sa Hawaii, sa Hong Kong. And then, Japan where I saw snow for the first time. It was also in Japan where I met Bimbo Danao, tatay ni Laura Danao at dating artist sa LVN na naging singer. Sikat na sikat siya sa Japan.

20. It was Conde Ubaldo who got me into radio in the late '40s. He was a popular radio writer, director and producer. Isinama ako sa Wag Naman, starring Pancho Magalona, Tessie Quintana and Baby Jane.

21. It was Pancho Magalona who recommended me to Dr. Jose "Doc" Perez, the starmaker of Sampaguita Pictures. That was in 1952.

22. My first movie was Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, Tita, with Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. And then came Jack and Jill. Mga bida sina Rogelio de la Rosa at Lolita Rodriguez. I wasn't the first choice. Sina Batotoy at Bayani ang unang kinonsider.

23. Jack and Jill was a komiks serial by Mars Ravelo. After that, I did other komiks characters - Silveria, Captain Barbell, Facifica Falayfay, all by Mars Ravelo.

24. The first time I did drama was in a 4-in-1 movie, with Barbara Perez who played a blind girl. 'Yung episode namin was inspired by the Charlie Chaplin's movie City Lights.

25. When I joined Sampaguita, my fee was P1,000 per movie. When my contract expired, P7,000 per picture na ako.

26. I fell in love with a fellow Sampaguitan but I'd rather not reveal who she was. Sa amin na lang 'yon. She's now in America.

27. It was also in Sampaguita where my team-up with Panchito became popular. Actually, our tandem started on radio, sa mga shows ni Conde Ubaldo.

38. Ronaldo Valdez's real name is Ronald James Gibbs. He's my discovery, for Pepe en Pilar, pelikula namin ni Susan. We wanted a new face as Susan's partner. I saw Ronaldo in a basketball court and brought him to the presscon so Susan could see him. "Wala bang iba?" Susan said. I brought Ronaldo to the barber shop, bought him a pair of boots at Glenmore and lent him my terno. When I presented him to Susan again, she said, "Iyan pa." She didn't know that he was the same guy I introduced to her earlier. Then I changed his name to Ronaldo Valdez.

39. Because of Jack and Jill, I was typecast in gay roles. My biggest hit is Facifica Falayfay, directed by Luciano "Chaning" Carlos. I did 23 other movies with Chaning.

40. When agent movies were the fad, I also played a secret agent, Dolpinger 1-2-3. Si Chiquito naman, Agent 0-2-10.

41. It's not true that Chiquito and I had a rivalry. May gumawa lang ng ganoon because at that time mayroong Nora-Vilma rivalry.

47. John en Marsha started in 1971, a year before Martial Law, on Channel 9. It was the idea of Kitchie Benedicto, head of the station. Before Nida, who was doing Wala Kang Paki with Nestor de Villa, Boots Anson-Roa and Helen Gamboa were considered as my wife Marsha. Before Dely Atay-Atayan, kinonsider din si Chichay as my mother-in-law na mayaman at matapobre. Mga anak namin sina Rolly (Quizon) at Maricel Soriano.

48. John en Marsha was such a big hit that it was made into a movie eight times.

53. In the late '60s while we were shooting in a hospital, I met a nurse, Evangeline Tagulao. Nagkaroon kami ng isang anak. Nasa States na sila ngayon.

54. I met Pilar Pilapil in 1969 when we shot Tayo'y Mag-Up, Up and Away in Rome, Paris, London, New York, Hawaii and Las Vegas. That was two years after she won the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title. We almost got married. Ayaw ng parents niya.

55. Then, I fell in love with Lotis Key. I also almost married her. Ang mga babae ko, kadalasan nagkakasabay-sabay, nag-o-overlap sila.